---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That weakness in human nature which goes…"
description: "\"That weakness in human nature which goes by the name of strength.\" — Peter Ustinov"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0a/peter-ustinov-4612_human-nature_that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes_283046.jpg"
---

#  That weakness in human nature which goes by the name of…

![“That weakness in human nature which goes by the name of strength.” quote by Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0a/peter-ustinov-4612_human-nature_that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes_283046.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0a/peter-ustinov-4612_human-nature_that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes_283046.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0a/peter-ustinov-4612_human-nature_that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes_283046.jpg)

> “That weakness in human nature which goes by the name of strength.”

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Strength often disguises itself as a flaw, revealing deeper human complexity.

**In simple terms:** Flaws can be hidden strengths.

Key Takeaway

Embrace apparent weaknesses as potential strengths.

Themes

self‑awareness paradox growth

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- leadership training
- personal development workshops

Key Concepts

dual nature of traits psychological insight

Questions to Reflect On

- What personal flaw could be a hidden strength?
- How do you balance self‑acceptance and improvement?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on flaws may ignore genuine weaknesses.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Goes Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-strength-2740794/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) [Weakness Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness-human-969591/)

## Related quotes

> [Mutability of temper and inconsistency with ourselves is the greatest weakness of human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/mutability-of-temper-and-inconsistency-with-ourselves-is-the-greatest/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [“Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-alexi/without-doubt-the-most-common-weakness-of-all-human-beings-is-the/)

[Ilya Alexi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-alexi/)

> [“History reminds us of the inherent weakness in the human condition and the very real possibility that our fellow human beings are capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fea/history-reminds-us-of-the-inherent-weakness-in-the-human-condition/)

[John Fea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fea/)

> [Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/without-doubt-the-most-common-weakness-of-all-human-beings-is-the-2/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [He that can carp in the most eloquent or acute manner at the weakness of the human mind is held by his fellows as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/he-that-can-carp-in-the-most-eloquent-or-acute-manner-at-the-weakness/)

[Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/)

> [Superstition is the weakness of the human mind; it is inherent in that mind; it has always been, and always will be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/superstition-is-the-weakness-of-the-human-mind-it-is-inherent-in-that/)

[Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/)

> [We hardly know an instance of the strength and weakness of human nature so striking and so grotesque as the character of this haughty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/we-hardly-know-an-instance-of-the-strength-and-weakness-of-human/)

[Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/)

> [The weakness of human reason appears more evidently in those who know it not than in those who know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-weakness-of-human-reason-appears-more-evidently-in-those-who-know/)

[Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/)

> [Being vulnerable, in my opinion, is not a weakness. It's being human. It is allowing yourself to not have all the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-mills-2/being-vulnerable-in-my-opinion-is-not-a-weakness-it-s-being-human-it/)

[T. Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-mills-2/)

> [“Herein lies the great difference between divine weakness and human weakness, the wounds of Christ and the wounds of man. Two human weaknesses only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-wiman/herein-lies-the-great-difference-between-divine-weakness-and-human/)

[Christian Wiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-wiman/)

> [“Grieving is a weakness-too human, too mired in compassion, and we can't repeat that mistake, can we?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-dos-santos/grieving-is-a-weakness-too-human-too-mired-in-compassion-and-we-can-t/)

[Steven dos Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-dos-santos/)

> [“Equity bids us be merciful to the weakness of human nature; to think less about the laws than about the man who framed them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/equity-bids-us-be-merciful-to-the-weakness-of-human-nature-to-think/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [“How many loves fail because, in an unconscious effort to make our weaknesses more strong, we link with others precisely at those points? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-wiman/how-many-loves-fail-because-in-an-unconscious-effort-to-make-our/)

[Christian Wiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-wiman/)

> [How can it be said that the weakness of the human will is aided so as to enable it to aspire effectually to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of-the-human-will-is-aided-so-as/)

[John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/)

> [If the basic human nature was aggressive, we would have been born with animal claws & huge teeth -- but ours are very short,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-the-basic-human-nature-was-aggressive-we-would-have-been-born-with/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

## More by Peter Ustinov

> [Acting on television is like being asked by the captain to entertain the passengers while the ship goes down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/acting-on-television-is-like-being-asked-by-the-captain-to-entertain/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [There are experts in little things but there are no experts in big things. There are experts in this fact and that fact but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/there-are-experts-in-little-things-but-there-are-no-experts-in-big/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [Marriage is like a three-speed gearbox - affection, friendship, love. It is not advisable to crash your gears and go right through to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/marriage-is-like-a-three-speed-gearbox-affection-friendship-love-it/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/i-was-irrevocably-betrothed-to-laughter/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [I don't know why I have these dreams. I've never wanted to be Pope. In fact, I have a greater affinity to Martin Luther.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/i-don-t-know-why-i-have-these-dreams-i-ve-never-wanted-to-be-pope-in/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [I have three daughters and I find as a result I played King Lear almost without rehearsal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/i-have-three-daughters-and-i-find-as-a-result-i-played-king-lear/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me the most civilised music in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/i-was-irrevocably-betrothed-to-laughter-the-sound-of-which-has-always/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [A diplomat these days is nothing but a head waiter who's allowed to sit down occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/a-diplomat-these-days-is-nothing-but-a-head-waiter-who-s-allowed-to/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [Two members of my profession who are not urgently needed by my profession, Mr. Ronald Reagan and Mr. George Murphy, entered politics, and they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/two-members-of-my-profession-who-are-not-urgently-needed-by-my/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [Her virtue was that she said what she thought, her vice that what she thought didn't amount to much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/her-virtue-was-that-she-said-what-she-thought-her-vice-that-what-she/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [Children are the only form of immortality that we can be sure of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/children-are-the-only-form-of-immortality-that-we-can-be-sure-of/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [I have Russian, German, Spanish, Italian, French and Ethiopian blood in my veins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/i-have-russian-german-spanish-italian-french-and-ethiopian-blood-in/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [Laughter... the most civilized music in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/laughter-the-most-civilized-music-in-the-world/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [Did you know that every two hours the nations of this world spend as much on armaments as they spend on the children of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/did-you-know-that-every-two-hours-the-nations-of-this-world-spend-as/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [Contrary to general belief, I do not believe that friends are necessarily the people you like best, they are merely the people who got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/contrary-to-general-belief-i-do-not-believe-that-friends-are/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

[Explore all 106 Peter Ustinov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

## More Human nature quotes

> [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period - When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/a-light-exists-in-spring-not-present-on-the-year-at-any-other-period/)

[Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/)

> [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [“The aristocratic interiority is centered on the higher mind, the mens, the ajna chakra, the seat of intellect and intuition that commands the lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-evola/the-aristocratic-interiority-is-centered-on-the-higher-mind-the-mens/)

[Julius Evola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-evola/)

> [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/)

[Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/)

> [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [“I wasn't sure which I appreciated less—the insincere concern or the genuine indifference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-graham/i-wasn-t-sure-which-i-appreciated-less-the-insincere-concern-or-the/)

[Arthur Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-graham/)

> [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/)

[Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/)

> [“As if we didn't have enough weapons already. But that's human nature, we've always got to go one better, to increase the terror another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/as-if-we-didn-t-have-enough-weapons-already-but-that-s-human-nature/)

[Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/)

> [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/)

[Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/)

> [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

[Browse all 3,743 Human nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "That weakness in human nature which goes by the name of strength.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Ustinov"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes-by-the-name-of-strength/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Human nature"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes-by-the-name-of-strength/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0a/peter-ustinov-4612_human-nature_that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes_283046.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0a/peter-ustinov-4612_human-nature_that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes_283046.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0a/peter-ustinov-4612_human-nature_that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes_283046.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“That weakness in human nature which goes by the name of strength.” — Peter Ustinov",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Peter Ustinov",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "That weakness in human nature which...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes-by-the-name-of-strength/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes-by-the-name-of-strength/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```